Have you ever watched youth soccer games and noticed a few players who really stood out as talented? Did you watch with amazement as they dribbled through the crowd of defenders and then finished with that perfect shot? The fact is that all sports, not just soccer, have certain athletes that just seem to amaze us. We as parents want out kids to develop as well, but how do we start? How do we get them to improve? The answer may be right outside your window in your backyard.

The common thread among great soccer players….

First, let’s take a look at Tiger Woods. Wait a minute, why a golf player? Because his name is known world wide and we can all relate to his story. For most of his developing life who was his coach and trainer? Who was his only putting coach as he progressed into the Pro years? The answer to both was his dad, Earl.
Was Earl Woods a professional golfer? Not at all, he was a career Army man that had a passion for the sport. He loved golf and he loved his son. He was able to blend time spent together and building a passion for the game, with learning and improving. Much of this time was right in their backyard “messing around”, having fun and exposing a child to new skills and thoughts. There were hours and hours of performing repetitive skills in the form of games and challenges. The same applies for so many great soccer players of our time and we as parents can learn from this example.

Parents are the key…

Ask any great soccer player who played a major role in their soccer growth and 90% of the time the answer will be “Mom or Dad”. When we developed the SoccerU series we specifically had this in mind. Whether it was the level of support or the time at night and weekends spent in the back yard just “messing around”, parents are often the engine behind developing talent, not the coach.

Each night I drive by our local public fields and sure enough there is a parent and child on the field working on skills or just “messing around” together. These small little sessions play such a major role in a youth player’s development, I can’t stress them enough. Last year I worked with several former Division One college players and the same was true. Their “parents” were the reason they were able to achieve such success. None of these parents were “pro soccer players” so how did they help that struggling child? I will explain.

Watch your next few soccer practices…

Let’s say that a young soccer player, over their development cycle, needs to learn and master 75 core skills. These will include everything from learning the difference between an offensive header and defensive header to receiving a pass under pressure and proper first touch. Whether the skill is basic like dribbling or advanced like performing a volley kick, each of these individual skills must be shown, taught and practiced repeatedly. However, you’ll notice that over the course of a soccer season players may only learn one to four new skills. Often after learning them, they seldom return to practice them in a repetitive session. At that pace they will hit the “competitive level” without ever really refining all the core skills.

Now, don’t go blaming the coach…

The first thing you realize when you become a soccer coach is that you are missing one thing, TIME. Working in the “group” means that all the players must be trained together. All their levels of skills, behavior and learning must be viewed as a whole, and one on one / individual training is almost never done. One to three hours a week for few weeks in the spring and fall is simply not enough time. You are also supposed to get this “motley crew” to play together as a team and hopefully win at least one game.

You will quickly see how many youth soccer players can hit the middle school and even high school level with very few refined technical skills. As players get older the focus switches to “competing”. We often see less and less time spent on core technical training which is a huge mistake.

1000’s of touches and hours of repetition…

Charlie Cook, the director of Coerver Training US, emailed me last year. He was reflecting on watching the national team and a player that received a long air pass. The player, with out any effort, gently touched the ball once and killed it into his path. “An amazing sight to see.” However he quickly pointed out that this was not a god given talent. This player was not born with this touch nor did he learn it by just “playing the game”. He learned it by practicing it over and over. Thousands of touches and repetition until this skill was a part of his nature, “instinctive”. His point was clearly made. To have a skill become “natural or instinctive” it must be repeated over and over until we no longer have to “think about it”. It becomes a habit that the player performs without thought.

This is where the back yard begins…

We, as parents must become teachers. We must be able to identify skills in their raw form and learn how to perform them correctly ourselves. We then must be able to tell and show a child visually how to properly perform the skill. After many short repetitive sessions it will eventually allow them to feel it and let it become part of their nature. Until we do this, it will never become an instinctive habit.

Parents however, sometimes feel “lost” and don’t know where to begin, how to progress or even how to teach these skills. You do not have to become a “professional soccer player”. You simply must learn to teach what your child will not be taught during the “normal development cycle” of their soccer career. Hence the 10 hours of skills breakdown on SoccerU.

Watch out for the frustration…

A simple warning for parents is to be aware that younger players often become frustrated easily. Our goal is to keep it fun and make sure the child feels like these are THEIR sessions and not forced on them. Keep them short and mix them in with what the child wants to do. Maybe they want to be goal keeper, maybe they want to take penalty shots on mom or dad. Whatever it is, keep the training divided in half. Half learning and repetition and half fun and games. Create challenges and even have fun goals to achieve. There is nothing better than a challenge between the child and parent.

There always is a parent…

In the US pickup games and free play soccer has almost become extinct. The extra hours of needed play and skill work now has to come from the parent. Parents often search for the “perfect soccer camp” spending hundreds even thousands of dollars on camps that might only last 2 – 5 days. These are great for social development but offer little improvement in what the players need.

When I meet a talented young soccer player I always ask them, “Who taught you how to play?” Every single player over the past two years has responded the same way, “My Mom / Dad.”

Make sure you realize the importance of “off program” training and make sure you understand the importance of the backyard. Cherish this time as not only soccer training, but bonding as well. Always remember that they are KIDS first, not soccer players, and nothing says “good work” like a stop for ice cream on the way home.

Mike Whitmore
Youth Soccer News

If you’re the new President of the United States, you might be just “tad” busy right now.  Hundreds, if not thousands, of issues on your plate and trust me, saving youth soccer is not one of them.  Youth soccer clubs from all around the world will soon start to feel the pinch of an ever tightening economy.

For the first time in many years some youth soccer clubs are predicting, if not already seeing, a drop in numbers rather than the steady incline they have seen for many years.  Everyone from recreational leagues to advanced academy programs everywhere are starting to see a “bump in the road” and it is affecting the numbers.

A family with two children can easily spend in excess of $2000 a season by the time you add up club fees, equipment and travel costs. The only bright side of the picture right now is that fuel costs are nearly half of what they a short time ago. In times where everything seems to be having budget cuts, the family’s dollars for “sports activities” is dwindling as well.

Dave Meyers, a club manager in Texas said, “We always operate on a tight budget, but if numbers start to decline, we are facing some tough decisions. We are an academy program that pays our coaches but we may have to ask them to reduce their income. We are also looking at other sources of revenue.” This trend seems to be spreading throughout the US, and not just in certain regions. The CT, Watertown Youth Soccer Association registration peaked at nearly 700 youngsters in the fall of 2006 and has since dropped to around 520 this fall. While they are not positive the economy is main factor, it certainly contributes to the decline.

Many clubs have tried approaching local businesses but that door seems to shutting quickly as well. Just trying to meet the payroll is tough enough, charity to local clubs will have to wait it seems.  Steve Whitmore, who helps run a local academy soccer club, said “We stopped knocking on local business doors last year because it just wasn’t effective. We now use our website to help. We started using fund raising programs like SoccerU last year. They helped us generate very good money for our club and the parents and kids received quality training.”

We don’t see youth soccer getting in line for the government bailouts just yet, but who knows. With tax payers shelling out millions to companies that support professional teams and athletes it might just make sense.

The Golden Years

By Coach V – www.SoccerU.com

One might think this information is for the “little kids” or “inexperienced coaches”, but I hope to drive home a point that all will learn from, soccer technical training often ends too early.

Let me start by going to the “top” so I don’t lose many of you that think technical training doesn’t apply to advanced players.  I will start with two examples, one with a professional player and the second a college bound player.

It goes all the way to the top.

Last year, while working on Blast The Ball and SoccerU, I was fortunate enough to spend time working with several professional players from all over the world. I will use Mac as an example. Mac is now a professional player with the MLS. I spent a couple of afternoons with him and we covered several topics, mainly striking and kicking a soccer ball.  Mac played in college, went to the USL and now is playing in the MLS.  I read a recent interview with him and it was a breath of fresh air. He was humble and grateful for his opportunities. When asked about his transition from the USL to the MLS he stated that play at the USL level was more physical and the MLS was more technical. He was thrilled to be around great teachers and coaches that could work with him to refine many of his skills.

My point? There are many creative, aggressive and physical soccer players, but when you take a look at the very best in the world, you will see very refined technical skills combined with all their other attributes. Only those that continually refine, develop and learn technical skills continue to progress.

The high school and college soccer player.

This past year I worked with many college players and older high school players. Many of the college players played at Division 1 schools and some even had a stint with some pro teams. They were mixed of male and female players. One of the high school players I worked with for over 30 hours had a great comment about the technical training we covered. “If I had this training 4 years ago, I would be going to a different (better) school right now.”  Amazingly this kid was a fantastic player; fast, tall, great creativity, top goal scorer, and more. However, he was humble enough to realize that he has so much more to learn or at least refine.

The same applied to many of the college players. When taken through some of the technical skills many admitted that they never received a “true” technical training session on many skills, even the basics. They simply had to figure it out on their own. Once I showed them the true form and took them back to the basic steps and learning, they all had the same reaction. “I wish I had this training years ago.”

Unfortunately once we get to the higher competitive levels players are focused on conditioning, physical play and tactical work.  Failing to constantly return to basic core technical training is a problem that many upper level players have to deal with.

Technical training should be the core of youth soccer development.

Unfortunately, especially in the US, we start “playing for the team” or trying to “achieve results” too early. Nothing like the coach of a 10 year old team pacing on the sidelines screaming at his players that they “stink and are playing like a bunch of losers”.  (Yes, an actual quote I heard last year.)  This coach had one problem. He wanted to win like we all do, but he placed that trait of human nature above the needs of his players.

These kids desperately needed general ball handling, dribbling and passing skills work, but you just know that the coach was spending all the practice time on conditioning, set plays and tactical work. I guess his next intended step was to coach with the “premiere leagues”.

Understanding that we are developing “future competitors” is the first step in youth development.  The best training development clubs in the world strictly limit competitive matches and focus on the player’s overall development.  It is pretty widely accepted that once a player hits the age of 16, it is hard to return and teach the skills.

There are two key factors in developing youth players.

First, is a love for the game. Street soccer, pick up games and non-adult structured soccer games help kids be creative and develop a love for the game. This environment unfortunately no longer exists in the US.  We have to keep in mind that ending all “work sessions” with fun small sided games is critical to kids walking away from all practices thinking, “I want to come back next week.”

This also applies to older players. Just because a player is “advanced” you have to remember that they really are still just a “kid at heart”. 17 year olds love to “play” and have fun too.

Second, is constantly returning to repetitive exposure of all the core skills. Instead of running laps and conditioning for 20 minutes to begin our practices, we should have players touching the ball with basic skills. Dribbling, passing, moves, chesting, heading and all the skills they actually use in a game.

I can’t tell you the number of advancing soccer players I see that struggle to perform basic moves such as pull backs, cuts and feints. They learned them a long time ago, but never practice them. Start EVERY practice the same way. Core movement drills, repeating the basic and essential ball control skills. End every practice the same way; fun, small sided games where the coach is not controlling every move.

Our teachers (coaches) are often not players.

One critical point to training young soccer players is first making sure the “teacher” understands how to teach.  When you combine recreational soccer in with the academy programs the number of coaches that never really played competitive soccer is very high. Some of our surveys had the number at 70%.  (Dad got involved because his son decided to play and the club or program needed “volunteers”.)  However, I will tell you that some of the best youth coaches I have met were not “great players”. They became great coaches because they focused on youth development and core technical training. Their focus was on “what is best for my players” and not “how do I become winning and successful coach”.  It is critical that coaches not only learn how to be a better coach, but also how to teach each individual technical skill the RIGHT way. Forget about the “winning” and focus on the “development”.

Understand the difference between Immediate and Residual training.

Immediate training includes things that we can control rather quickly but often do not last a long time. For example, at any time a soccer player can get in condition. Working out for about 4 – 6 weeks will get us into playing shape. However, once that stops or the season ends, the conditioning level goes away and we have to return to build it back up.

Technical skills however, are slowly built and refined over several years. Once they are learned, they will continue to stay with us.

A great quote from former U.S. Men’s National Team captain Claudio Reyna, “It’s possible at any time during a player’s career to get into top physical shape or to try to win every game! But you can’t teach skills to an old player. Youth coaches should keep in mind that individual skills need to be nurtured at an early age. Players who haven’t mastered the fundamental skills become frustrated because the game gets too difficult for them as they move into higher levels.”

The golden years of soccer development only happen once. This is why the SoccerU training series was developed. Focus these years on development and make sure your player(s) are being trained for the long term with skills, not conditioned for the short term to win.        

Is it ironic that the first world cup was played in 1930, the same year that the great depression was hitting the US hard? Most people don’t know that the first world cup was played in Uruguay in 1930, but they are aware that 1930 was the year that the great depression started to take hold of the US.

Now with the US facing its greatest financial crisis since that time, youth soccer and soccer in general in the US are starting to feel some pain.

The Pro Leagues

Professional soccer in the US has faced a struggle from the beginning. Now with cash strapped fans and sponsors watching every dollar, the future is quite uncertain. One example is the Atlanta Silverbacks. We just received an email from them letting me know that they would be “sitting out” the 2009 season. They stated, “Due to the state of the economy and the potential of an MLS team coming to town, the men’s pro team has decided to sit the year out while the Silverbacks assess the landscape.”

“This was an extremely difficult decision that was prompted by the dynamic events in our economy and the soccer community. We would like to thank all of our fans and partners who have supported the team over the years and hope they continue to come out to the Women’s games,” said Atlanta Silverbacks General Manager, Michael Oki.

All professional sports will feel some pain but it is real concern when you are fighting an uphill battle from the beginning.

Youth Soccer Leagues

For the first time in many years this past season was not a good one for many youth soccer programs. Many programs saw numbers decline and most are blaming the higher gas prices and tightening economy.

Most clubs we spoke with said they felt is was a temporary issue but it didn’t help programs that often operate in the “red” or close to it.

Phillip Whitehead, a youth program coordinator for a county recreation program said, “This is the first year we have seen an actual drop in our numbers. Our program has grown strongly each year but this season numbers dropped for the first time in over 10 years. I think it is simply a temporary thing and will correct itself as the economy gets back on its feet.”

Dealing with Budget Shortfalls

Some youth soccer clubs are taking action to help battle the tightening budgets. Many have turned to web based solutions such as soccer club fundraisers or affiliate programs. Using these programs is simply a matter of placing ads on their websites and they receive a percentage of the sales.

We found several using the www.BlastTheBall.com affiliate program and talked to two clubs that were getting ready to use the new www.SoccerU.com program. They all agreed that programs like these not only help their soccer players learn the game, but also help raise much need income for clubs. They offer training DVDs and in return the clubs earn a percentage of the sales.

Several clubs found that approaching local retailers and businesses to be sponsors was just not working due to tightening budgets everywhere. Tim Myers, a board member for a youth program in Florida, added, “It’s hard for many of these businesses to justify spending money on sponsorships when they are facing laying off employees. We simply got tired of approaching them hearing the same story even though we understand. We have turned to online fundraising vs. raising our fees for the upcoming season.”

Some of the great saviors in this “time of need” are the volunteers that often go unnoticed. Volunteer parents that coach and help with team management donate huge numbers of hours of their time. Without them the system would surely collapse.

While soccer in the US has had a tough time, it has come a long way. The MLS seems to becoming a real dominant force and youth programs, while struggling this year seem to growing strong for the long run.

A funny thing seems to happen in youth soccer. At some point we forget about basic development and start focusing on being competitive. Unfortunately this often happens too early and the results are irreversible and often permanent.

I get many emails and questions from people about the Blast The Ball and SoccerU series. A great of them are from parents and coaches wanting to make sure that the training shown is appropriate for their age groups. It’s funny, because you can tell that many of them have ordered soccer training videos before, but were disappointed because they were too basic or not appropriate for their soccer players.

While different ages of youth soccer players learn differently, they all must be taught individual skills starting at the same place. It is a stepping process that must be done the same way, regardless of age. Will they understand the skill at a different rate? Yes. Will they be able to master the skill and take it to the field at a different rate? Yes. But remember something very important. If a soccer player has never been taught a skill the need to start at square one, regardless of age.

The stepping or learning process for soccer technical skills is simple, but must be followed. Here is an example of the building blocks.

Step One: The Raw Basic Skill

This includes the actual skill broken down to its finest points. Not just receiving a soccer ball, but what does our body do during this process? What position is our foot and leg in? Are we receiving with pressure or without pressure? Is that pressure in front of us or behind us? A simple skill like receiving a soccer ball correctly has many deep aspects that must be examined, demonstrated and performed.

Step Two: Performing the Skill Repetitively

Now that we have learned the skill, we must perform the skills over and over until our body and mind understand it as a natural and instinctive movement. No pressure, nothing to think about except the skill and how we do it perfectly.

Step Three: Adding Pressure

Now that we have mastered the soccer skill, we must now add pressure. This stage is often called “lights out” for younger players. Up until this point we had nothing to think about except for the skill. Now our mind and body must perform with a defensive player putting mild pressure on us. Now when we receive that pass, there is an incoming defender closing in on us. Can we still perform it perfectly? We repeat the skill with moderate pressure over and over. Most of the time the assisting player is told NOT to touch the soccer ball, only to let their presence be known.

Step Four: Performing the skill in a game-like setting.

Now we move the skill to a small sided game or grid with small goals. This is the “failure allowed” area. We ask the players to use the new skills in a small game and they are told that most of their attempts will probably fail. That is fine. WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE FAILURE. Remember the old saying of, “It is better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all.” If developing soccer players are placed in a “real game like” area or setting, they will revert back to their old habits. They DO NOT want to fail in soccer game so they are hesitant to try something new that might fail. This is a VITAL step in developing skilled players.

Step Five: Praising it in a real soccer match.

During the next soccer match, stop shouting at the referee and your players. Simply be quiet and watch for a new skill used on the field. It will happen. Watch closely for a player that now receives the soccer ball with that new “away touch”. When you see it happen, shout out his name and loudly praise him. Do it so all the other players can hear. Even if it didn’t go perfectly, praise him for the effort in trying. He will GLOW as bright as sun for the next 3 minutes.

The real problem that exists in youth development is that we start to skip these phases as the soccer players get older. Is it because of pressure? Do we think the players will think we are babying them? We must fight the urge to simply run drills. Having soccer players run through drill after drill simply reinforces the “incorrect way” they now perform the skill. Regardless of the age we must start every player at the basic skill level and follow this plan.

Can be found here, How To Play Soccer.

How to Teach Soccer Positions

I along with many soccer coaches / trainers teach to other coaches that focus on basic soccer skills is the essential part of youth development. However, the realistic fact is that in a few weeks your “herd” of soccer players will take to the field in an all out “duel to the death” called a soccer match. So how do we teach positions and some basic tactics to kids that can’t even pass a ball correctly?

The other day I received an email from a parent / volunteer soccer coach. He had attended one of my coaching clinics and during this clinic I stressed the importance of basic skill training and small sided games. After watching last year’s practices I stressed to the coaches to avoid full field scrimmages during valuable but limited training time. I did so because the year before I witnessed many of the coaches spending 50% of their practices scrimmaging the other teams. Players rarely touched the ball and spent much of the practice standing around talking to family and friends on the sidelines from the playing field.

Here is the simple plan I showed him.

This small sized field practice allows for all players to hear instructions and tips. Trying this on a full field makes for a boring session where most players are staring at the grass because they don’t know what is being said to their teammates.

First, understand that youth soccer players see scrimmages as a “fun time”. Often the first words out of their mouths are “Are we going to scrimmage today?” So the first rule is simple. Gather all the players together and stress a few rules and explain what is about to happen.

1) We are going to spend the entire practice scrimmaging. (Cheers will erupt.)

2) We are going to be playing on a half field set up with large goals on each end. (I call these things kid magnets. They have great power we have to overcome.)

3) We will start the scrimmage in slow motion, step by step.

4) When I ask for you eyes and ears I want all eyes and ears on me the coach.

5) We will rotate positions every few minutes so pay attention to all the positions.

6) No keepers.

7) Use the players you have and make the play 4 v 4, 5 v 5, 7 v 7 or what ever works so that ALL players are on the field. DO NOT worry about rigid formations.

The first section will be slow motion. We will cover walking through positions, recovering, keep the field wide, defense always pushed up, and how to pass and move. (Don’t turn this into lectures. Simple points.)

9) We will start with a ball in play and each time the ball is passed or moved a substantial amount, I will shout FREEZE. (Have players adjust accordingly.)

10) We will see that we don’t have to always “kick and run”. We can pass the ball side to side and even backwards if needed.

11) Then we will slowly start speeding up this game. There is no shooting at first. The first section will simply be “keep away”.

12) If a ball goes out of bounds I (the coach) have a bag of balls and will restart the game by throwing a ball in somewhere on field and shouting, “Ball in.” (Teaches players to recover quickly.)

13) Then we will start shooting, but you must shoot the ball through the cones that are 3 feet away from the corners of the next. This means a simple “pass” into the net will score vs. a kick that will miss. (This keeps the “long footers” from simply kicking from half field.)

14) Now listen carefully. When ever you hear me yell “freeze” you must freeze exactly where you are. (Use these FREEZE times to correct positions, point out good plays, and give points such as, defenders not pushing up or offensive players not recovering.) Keep these “freezes” very short and always SMILE while making them.

By the end of practice you should allow the players to play on without interruption. Even if they are doing things wrong, this is their reward for listening and learning.

Your goal is not to teach “perfect positioning and movement”. Your goal is to stress a few simple points.

Try and stress the following points.

1) When our side has the ball we are ALL OFFENSIVE PLAYERS. This means that defenders must push up close to half field and be an option for a back pass.

2) When the other team wins the ball we are ALL DEFENDERS. Forwards and midfielders must hustle back and be part of the defensive play.

3) No one “watches the game”. So many times we see defenders standing like statues in front of our goal while our forwards are working like crazy with the ball in the opponents 18 box. “NO ONE WATCHES”. Have them push up and the same applies to forwards while we are defending.

4) Moving away from the ball. We will see all the forwards and midfielders running in a group with the ball down the field. Show them that we need to have space. Teach them about being wide and how the defense will focus on the ball, not on wide players that will now be open.

5) Pass and move. EVERY youth player does the same thing. When they pass to a teammate they simple just stop and watch. Teach them that every pass has two parts. The pass and then the movement afterward. They will want to pass and then move towards their pass. Teach them to pass and swing wide or away. I call this bees and honey. The ball is honey and the defenders are bees. Give the honey to someone else and move away from the honey because the bees will all follow.

Since this is a smaller game with everyone moving and touching the ball often, they players will a HUGE amount of conditioning as well as touches.

The next time you do this decrease the instructions and stoppage times. After a few sessions you will see a different team. If players start to get “goal focused” revert back to the keep away aspect with no shooting.

What does “Small-Sided Games” mean? These are soccer games with fewer players competing on a smaller sized field. These are fun games that involve the players more because fewer players are sharing one ball.

All ages can play “Small Sided Games”, but it has a definite developmental impact on our younger soccer players. US Youth Soccer recommendations for “number of players” at the various age groups are as follows:

U6 | 3 against 3 no goal keepers
U8 | 4 against 4 no goal keepers
U10 | 6 against 6 with goal keepers
U12 | 8 against 8 with goal keepers
U13+ | 11 against 11 with goal keepers

1. Because we want our young soccer players to touch the soccer ball more often and become more skillful with it! (Individual technical development)

2. Because we want our young soccer players to make more, less-complicated decisions during the game! (Tactical development)

3. Because we want our young soccer players to be more physically efficient in the field space they are playing in! (Reduced field size)

4. Because we want our young soccer players to have more individual teaching time with the coach! Less players on the field and less players on the team will guarantee this! (Need to feel worthy and need to feel important)

5. Because we want our young soccer players to have more, involved playing time in the game! (More opportunity to solve problems that only the game presents)

6. Because we want our young soccer players to have more opportunity to play on both sides of the ball! (More exposure to attacking and defending situations)

7. Because we want our young soccer players to have more opportunities to score goals! (Pure excitement)

These are the reasons why we adults must foster “Small-Sided Games” in our youth soccer programs. The “Small-Sided” environment is a developmentally appropriate environment for our young soccer players. It’s a FUN environment that focuses on the young soccer player.

It just makes sense doesn’t it?

• Talk to the Program Director and request helpful coaching materials and coaching aids.
• Talk to other Soccer Coaches in the program or in your community who have worked with these age groups before.
• Call your State Youth Soccer Association and request helpful coaching materials and coaching aids.
• Call your State Youth Soccer Association and ask to speak with the State Director of Coaching about specific age appropriate coaching courses and age appropriate training materials.
• Call US Youth Soccer at 1.800.4SOCCER or visit their web site at www.USYouthSoccer.org and request and/or order helpful coaching materials and coaching aids.

Consider the following: